Course
Description information available through this menu is in a format slightly
modified from the print catalog. Here are two examples that
together contain almost all of the possible types of information.

Top row for each entry contains
the course number, Title, Number of semester hours (credits), and full
name of the related subject.The course titles listed
in this table may sometimes be abbreviated from the official print catalog
names. They match the titles that appear in the online class schedule,
which must fit in limited space

PHYS 161

General Physics I

3 semester hours

Physics

Course Description:
First of three related courses (with PHYS 262 and PHYS 263) A Calculus-based
general physics course, required for students majoring in engineering or
one of the physical sciences. This sequence is planned as a unified course
of study with continuity of presentation across the semester boundaries.
It is strongly recommended that students plan to complete the sequence
in consecutive semesters. PHYS 161: Mechanics and Heat. Fundamental laws
of motion, force and energy, particle collisions, rotational mechanics,
gravitation, thermodynamics, and kinetic theory. (NSND) (CE-TP and G for
PHYS 161) PREREQUISITES: MATH 181 and concurrent enrollment in MATH 182, or consent
of department. Three hours lecture, one hour discussion each week.

SS 101

SOCIAL SCIENCE I

3 semester hours

Social Science

Course Description:
The nature of society and the manner in which the individual and the social
group interact, with emphasis on the role of the individual as a family
member, as a consumer-producer, and as an effective participant in community
life. Analysis of race relations, international conflicts, and consequences
of social change. Makes use of those findings, insights, and approaches
from sociology, psychology, political science, and economics that contribute
to a better understanding of human relations, especially the significance
of the student's own participation in everyday living. (BSSD[M]) (R-only)
Assessment levels: ENGL 101/101A, READ 110. Three hours each week.

The lower box for each entry
contains several items of information. Immediately following
the label "Course Description:" is the complete catalog description
for this course. The LAST line in this box generally describes
the number of hours this course typically meets each week during a 15-week
semester, and must be scaled appropriately when the course is offered
in a more compressed time frame. For example, a 5-week Summer course
would need three times this number of hours each week.

In between these items will
be any additional coded information that might apply to the course, followed
by any Assessment levels or Prerequisite requirements that must be satisfied
before registering for this course. Here is a legend bar that
appears regularly throughout the listings, followed by some explanation
of each item...

Four capital letters in parentheses
-- like (NSND) in our first example above -- is a code showing that
this course will apply as General Education distribution credit in a particular
category. In that first example, NSND stands for Natural Science
NO-lab Distribution. Other possible distribution categories
are listed in the upper row on the legend bar above. In some cases
a letter M, signifying multi-cultural, might also appear here in square
brackets, as in our second example where (BSSD[M]) indicates a Behavioral
and Social Science course that satisfies the multi-cultural distribution
requirements. See the General
Education pages for more details on these categories and requirements.

The letters CE, in parentheses,
denote a course that is offered through Credit by Examination. If
a campus designator appears inside the same parentheses, this indicates
that Credit by Exam is available only at that location. So
the (CE -- TP and G) in our Physics example means that Credit by Exam for
this particular course is offered only at Germantown and Takoma Park/Silver Spring, but
the course itself is still available in standard format at all campuses.

There do exist courses and
programs that are taught only at one of our campuses. These are indicated
by a code like the (R-only) in our Social Science example. If a course
that is taught at only one location is also available Credit by Exam, then
both indicators would be shown as for instance (G-only)(CE) -- i.e.
two separate sets of parentheses.

"Prerequisites" or "Corequisites"
are College courses (or other knowledge) required prior to, or at the same
time as, the listed course. Our Physics example is a mathematically demanding
course in the transfer sequence for Engineers, and hence lists one Math
course that must be mastered first, and a second that must be taken no
later than the same semester as the Physics course.

"Assessment levels" generally
appear only on courses which have no explicit prerequisites. These are
intended to provide guidance to the level of language and math skills that
are needed to optimize one's likelihood of success in the listed course,
and are related to outcomes of various assessment tests taken by new students.
See the Assessment
and Placement pages for more details on this testing program, including
sample test questions. Our Social Science example indicates that
this introductory survey course has no particular expectation concerning
Math skills, but makes use of language skills appropriate for students
whose placement scores show they are prepared for enrollment in
ENGL101 and READ110. It does not require that these two courses must
be completed before taking the SS course.